Through These Eyes
by eclyptyk neo
Summary: A substory within my PRDT series during TIL I COLLAPSE. Due to the events of sending the DinoThunder Rangers into the past by Mindshatter, there are a few changes in the outcome of the future. But by how much?


_**Passage to: 'TIL I COLLAPSE – THROUGH THESE EYES **(Rated: R)  
(To be read after: 'Til I Collapse - Chapter 30: Lost Time)  
_

AUTHOR: ECLYPTYK NEO®

_Summary: A sub-story within my Power Rangers DinoThunder series. Due to the events of sending the DinoThunder Rangers into the past by Mindshatter, there are a few changes in the outcome of the future. But by how much? To be read after "Part Three: Til I Collapse – Chapter 30: Lost Time."_

_Disclaimer: Power Rangers is not mine, only the series I have created around it. So, I want to thank the readers for making it such a success. This has all pretty much been my version of Power Ranger since it began with Part One: The Reason. Part One was the only real tie to the actual television series, the rest are my own thoughts, brought on by my own creativity, conversations and RPing with others. I still try to make as many ties to the show as possible, but leave a lot of room open to create my own thing. But without the help of the readers and my beta readers and beta-suggestors, I would be nothing. So, without any of you this wouldn't have gotten to where it is at. And the persons and/or events depicted in this story are fictional. Any similarities to actual persons, living or dead, or actual events are purely coincidental and unintentional. So, don't get on me for that, please_

_A/N: This would have made sense a long time ago, but I just got the inspiration to do this. And I thought it would be a little interesting as it opens up the doors for a new chapter in the series – Part Four. I have just been busy with a lot of other things, but hopefully I'll be back in the mix of things in the upcoming future. I do hope you like this. And give me a break, I ain't the greatest when it comes to the more romantic or hot and racy scenes of a story, but I try. This is my first time attempt of doing this type of scene, so go a little easy on me. Plus, I think my writing has matured, too. I know many of you are questioning if I still have the creative juices running in me, and I do. Trust me, I got plenty of ideas. It is just making the time for them is very hard right now. Either way, read it and tell me what you think. Thanks. And may the Powers Always Protect You._

-X-X-X-X-X-X-X-X-X-X-X-X-X-X-X-X-X-X-X-X-X-X-X-X-X-X-X-X-X-X-X-X

"_As we walk through life we begin to realize more and more about how we fit into this world. We also put the pieces together about the relationships we share with the people around us, whether it is friends, family, foes, or acquaintances. To all my friends and family, no matter where you are, I thank you all for the memories we have made and created. And I thank you for always having my back. You don't realize how grateful I am for knowing each and every one of you. I'll always be here for you." – Tommy Oliver_

-X-X-X-X-X-X-X-X-X-X-X-X-X-X-X-X-X-X-X-X-X-X-X-X-X-X-X-X-X-X-X-X

Angel Grove, 1996.

As they stood there looking up at the sky, the team of young Ninjetti Rangers questioned how life would be like in the future.

"Wow!" Billy breathed as he finally averted his eyes away from the skies.

They had just experienced an epic battle with their future successors, the Dino Thunder Rangers. And to all of them, they were all just as speechless as the team of 2005. What seemed like weeks upon weeks of battling had all happened in a day. Things were going just fine for the six heroes of Angel Grove. They were heading to school to experience another day of education, free from worrying about what Lord Zedd could muster for them. And the next they knew, things changed.

Things went wrong. Something did. Tommy and Kimberly went to the park to enjoy some time alone while the others enjoyed the comfort of the youth center to pass the time of the day. But something bothered them all that day. There was no lie about that. Their science teacher's substitute seemed like a rather odd character they couldn't stop thinking about. A guy with dreadlocks and an Asian-man like beard who went by his first name was something no one could have expected to be normal in their line of existence. Not in this time period. There was just something about that man that seemed to make an imprint in their minds.

The young couple was enjoying each other's comfort when they felt the suspicion of being watched. Upon investigating it, they were attacked by Tengas. Before they knew it, they were battling a cyborg with a huge grudge against the teen in white.

And all of a sudden, they made a discovery about a new set of rangers, lead by a man who had been leading them for years now. They ran into the future of their legacy; rangers from the year 2005. And these rangers were lead by one of their own. No, it wasn't Zordon. But it was Tommy Oliver, who was already a legacy to this line of heroes, nine years older.

They were told of the situation at hand, that these rangers from the future – the Dino Thunder Rangers – were transported back in time and they were searching for a way out of it. They had to get out of there and back to their own time period. So, the rangers of the present and future banded together to find a safe passage for the Dino Thunder Rangers.

They were soon caught in a battle with the DT Rangers newest enemies, Mesogog and Dinoshade. And they battled on with a new strength and power as it was masked by the young teens of 2005. They found a victory and a passage for the team to return to their own time, but they could only question how much of the future was altered upon the return of the Dino Thunder team.

"No kidding. I just can't believe that all happened," Aisha shook her head as she looked around the quiet comfort of Angel Grove.

Slowly pulling their eyes from the skies, a silence fell over the six teenagers. They could not believe that the legacy of their heroism would grow to even greater numbers, but they were glad that it did. But they questioned what would happen in their futures and what changes laid in store for them from that point on.

"So, do you think we'll see them again?" Adam finally asked as he broke the silence between them.

They stopped to look at him. After that last battle, a lot of questions raced through their minds. They had no idea what would happen now. They, now, knew there was a set of rangers to protect the world in the year of 2005. They didn't know how many ranger teams would have come or gone prior to that day, but they knew that it had ended with the Dino Thunder Rangers as of that date in 2005. But now that they knew, would it change everything? Let alone, they knew that the one who lead the team – who gave them their powers – was none other than one of their own. It was hard to say what would happen now.

"I wouldn't doubt it, Adam." The teenager in white spoke among the silence of his friend. Almost casually, he wrapped a protective arm around his girlfriend's waist. "I wouldn't doubt it."

"Somebody fucking pinch me because this is still going way over my head," Rocky protested as he rubbed the back of his neck.

Aisha reached over and pinched him as he winced under the touch. "You said somebody pinch you, Rocky, so I did."

Rubbing his arm, Rocky looked over at his childhood friend in yellow. "Yeah, but not that hard. Damn, 'sha."

"Don't be such a baby," she shot back with a smile. "Besides, I don't know if it was just me, but did this entire thing feel like one big dream?"

"I'm with you there, 'sha," Kimberly nodded as she tucked herself into the comfort of her boyfriend.

"So, what do you think your older self meant by taking care of Kimberly, Tommy?" Billy looked over at the young teenage couple.

The other teens looked over at their pink and white counterparts as the two of them exchanged a look before turning to look at their friends.

Tommy leaned over and laid a kiss on Kimberly's forehead as she seemed to giggle under his touch. "I don't know. I guess we'll see. But I think I'll have to take his advice. Take care of her."

"You'd better take good care of me, Tommy. We've been going out for nearly three years now," Kimberly spoke as she blushed.

"We've been going out that long?" he spoke as if he couldn't believe all those years had been spent with her. Not that he was complaining about it at all. It was just overwhelming to him. The years went by fast.

The others nodded in turn, just when the familiar chimes of their communicators went off. Looking around to see if the coast was clear, the team assembled around their leader as he pulled up his communicator that resembled a watch.

"Yeah, Zordon, we read you," Tommy spoke into the communicator.

"Rangers, it is clear that after that last battle, it has not gone completely unnoticed around Lord Zedd and Rita. However, the high concentration of ranger energy has returned to normal and I have only detected the power residing among you," their mentor reported.

"So, what do we do about it?" Rocky asked.

"Keep a low profile about it, Rocky. No one should ever know that a set of rangers came from the future to help us," Zordon responded. "We may know about it, but that should be as far as it goes. Lord Zedd and Rita does not need to know what we know about the future, Rangers."

"We read you on that, Zordon." Tommy confirmed as he spoke for the whole team.

"Yes, it is definitely a relief on our shoulders knowing that the ranger legacy has continued through the years to come," Alpha 5 spoke.

The teens couldn't help but smile. They all knew that they couldn't do this forever. They wouldn't be able to fight against evil for their entire lives. Others would have to take their place, and it seemed that more than enough people had come and gone as their legacy was slowly unfolding out in front of them.

"Indeed, Alpha." Zordon stated. "I am proud of you all. That no matter where evil is, the rangers will be there to stop them. For the power in each of you is more than enough to keep you going as well as this legacy you have become apart of. The Power Rangers, themselves, have created a legacy throughout the entire reaches of this galaxy and universe."

"Thank you, Zordon," Tommy replied.

"We have you to thank for being there for us like a second father," Kimberly admitted as the others nodded in turn.

"The legacy is only beginning for you, rangers. May the Powers Protect Each and Every One of You." Their mentor replied in turn.

And with that said, they knew that things were gonna be okay. The transmission ended and they had to return to their normal lives.

"So, now that that is settled, what now?" Billy asked.

Aisha looked over at the young couple, knowing exactly that they wanted some time alone. "Well, I think we'll just head over to the youth center..."

"The youth center sounds like…" Tommy agreed, but was stopped short when Kimberly pulled him back over to her.

"No, you guys need to finish your little picnic or whatever the hell you guys were doing," Rocky absently gestured with his hand, pushing them away. He turned with Adam, heading back in the direction where the youth center was.

"Yeah, sucking face," Adam coughed and cleared his throat as he turned to look at his friends in white and pink. "You guys always complain you never have enough time together, so here you go. Besides, we can do something tomorrow. Today is Friday, after all."

"Yeah, we'll give you guys a call later or something," Aisha nodded as she wrapped an arm around Billy pulling him along with her two childhood friends.

As one, the four other rangers turned away after waving their goodbyes to the young couple. Tommy and Kimberly watched them go as their friends' bodies became silhouettes in the sunset-like sky. Taking her hand into his, Tommy turned to walk the other way, walking along the cement path to one of the shaded pavilions overlooking the lake in Angel Grove Park.

Sitting on top of the table, Kimberly laid her head on Tommy's shoulder as they watched the calm waves of the lake come crashing into the shore. It was a warm, calm night. And to them, it seemed almost like an eternity to share a moment like this with their own hectic lives. To them, this was heaven.

Leaning over, Tommy pressed his lips against the warm lips of his girlfriend. She smiled under the kind gesture as he pulled away only briefly. He opened his eyes slowly as his dark falcon eyes met the dancing gaze of his crane. "I love you, Kimberly."

"I love you, too, Tommy," Kimberly blushed as she felt her cheeks heat up a little. She leaned over laying her lips upon her falcon.

He pulled his arms around her, wrapping her into a more protective embrace as she held their little gentle kiss a bit longer. Pulling her lips away, she buried her head into the side of his neck, hugging him as she felt him rub her back a little, comforting her.

As if it didn't occur to the two of them, with all of their moments of saving the world, they were almost shocked to realize they were still going strong as a couple for so many years. It hit Tommy more than Kimberly – only because she knew how long – but all in all still just as shocked. They were going out for nearly three years now. And it was almost hard to believe that they managed to get that far.

"I'm sorry your little birthday picnic didn't go according to plan," Kimberly had to apologize as she sat up straighter, but found her head upon Tommy's shoulder again.

Tommy pulled her a bit closer to him as he laid a kiss on her forehead, brushing away the strands of hair that hid her face of its beauty. "With a guy who has muscles for skin, a witch with a cone-shaped bra, a golden monkey man with wings and a skeleton-like soldier with a huge odor problem, it doesn't really surprise me."

Kimberly giggled under his comment. She had to admit, she loved his wit. She loved how he managed to pull himself out of a lot of situations. She loved how he protected not only her with everything he had, but his friends as well. He was ready and willing to put up any sacrifice for others. He was not a selfish man. He was a caring man. He put others before his own needs. He was a great leader, friend, and teacher to those who were taught by him, especially his martial arts. There were so many things she was grateful for when she was around him. He was a role model to her. And she wasn't sure if he knew it, but he really did change her life in ways that she was glad for.

"Yeah, it probably wouldn't. I just wish it could have gone better. I mean, I really thought that things would be different this time around," she admitted, sighing sadly.

"Yeah, but ya know how our lives as rangers can be. But, hey, just being with you is more than enough to make me smile," he spoke as he pulled her face up to directly look at him; into the soul of his existence. "Kimberly, I am not sure if you know this, but you have been a huge role model to me. You have kept me sane. You have kept me going. You have kept me honest with others and myself. You were ready and willing to give me a second chance despite what had happened in my past. If anything, you should never have to owe me anything. But me, I owe you everything and more. I would do anything for you."

As those words escaped his mouth, something just came over the young woman. She could feel her own pent up emotions slowly slither out. She wanted him to know how much he meant to her. But as her tear-struck eyes had met the sight of his own, it was all that he needed to tell both of them what she meant to say.

She coughed up a sob before wrapping her arms around him, laying her trembling lips upon his. "I love you so much, Tommy."

"I love you, too." Tommy whispered into her ear as she hugged him tightly.

For a long time, the two of them couldn't find the words to say anything. They didn't know what to say. But the very presence of the other was enough to unlock some of the pent up emotions they held in their hearts. After that last battle, there was something different about how the two of them looked at each other. They weren't sure what it was. But it was like their love for each other grew. Or it was becoming more evident. And for some reason, they had to find ways to let the other know exactly what they were really feeling for the other. The chemistry. The sparks. The feelings. The love. All of it was more than enough to let their friends and family know how much they loved each other. And somehow, that last battle just pushed them more.

"You said you'd do anything for me, right, Thomas?" Kimberly's warm breath touched his ear as it made him shudder a little.

Pulling away to look into her face, Tommy wasn't sure what type of gesture she was making by calling him by his proper name. The only times he heard it come from her mouth was when he was in big trouble, or when she was really serious about something. And when he looked into her eyes, it was in a serious tone.

"Anything, Beautiful," he nodded in turn as his hands intertwined with hers.

"Anything to prove how much you loved me?" her voice sounded more velvet than he was used to.

His raging teenage hormones were slowly getting the best of him at that moment. He didn't know how he managed to keep himself in check during some of their hotter and racier make-out sessions, but this was one time he was sure he couldn't hold it in. His breath quickened a little at how she asked the question and how she made it sound. She was asking for something more from him. Were they finally gonna make the move to push their relationship further? Would they make the push to sleep together for the very first time?

Tommy had to admit he never wanted to drive her to do things that made her feel uncomfortable. He had to admit, if he could and really wanted to, he wanted Kimberly to be his first. He wanted to give up his virginity to her. And he had admitted it to her several times before in the past. But she had never said much about it. To him, she looked like she was really uncomfortable about it. And he was ready and willing to wait for her, no matter how long it would take.

Looking back into her gaze, Tommy was trying to figure out exactly what his girlfriend was asking of him. But as she leaned over into him, he followed suit, leaning in to lay his lips atop of hers. And unlike many kisses in the past, it would build from a simple touch to something a little more deep, yet subtle. However, this kiss held more edge to it. It was an eager need for something more; a touch that could very well drive them both off the deep-end and down into a world where they would discover new things about themselves and each other. It was hard to describe how the kiss felt to each of them, but both of them knew that there were sparks there. There was a push and a longing that they wanted to fulfill. And for them, it seemed like it was a push they wanted to fulfill for a long time.

Kimberly pressed most of her weight into Tommy, deepening the kiss more as he was slowly starting to lean back. He parted her lips more only to feel the tip of her tongue touch his bottom lips. At first, it was a surprise to him. Despite the hot and racy make-out sessions in the past, it was nowhere near how this had felt. Yes, there were moans and groans of pleasure and satisfaction, but not how it was here. They never managed to allow their tongues to push open a battle, if one could say. They knew their limits, kept it within the playing field. But somehow, they were ready to use every boundary of the field and beyond it. This time, they wouldn't be playing by the rules. They were gonna make their own.

Wrapping an arm around her, Tommy pulled Kimberly closer to him, feeling her small form melt into his body as if it was only met for her alone. No one else could have completed this puzzle better than her. She moaned under his gesture, driving him more to relax a little more. She could tell he was nervous about this. But she wasn't afraid to push him to follow through with what went on inside his mind. And as she pulled away catching her breath, his forehead laid upon hers as he, too, was searching for his breath.

Slowly opening her eyes, she saw that the eyes of her falcon were looking upon her, melting into her gaze.

"Are you sure about this, Beautiful?" his voice a little husky after that heated kiss.

"Only if you won't have any regrets about it. I would do anything right now to prove my love to you, Tommy. And I want to really know what it is like to make love to someone. And that someone is you. I want to make love to you, Handsome."

Nodding slowly, he pushed his lips to hers before getting off the table and pulling her along with him. Wrapping an arm around her waist, she melted into his side wrapping her small arms around his tall form.

Driving quietly through the sunset-lit city, they arrived at the Oliver homestead. Lucky for both of them, both of their parents would be gone for the weekend. Many times, their dates would stop at the threshold in fear of running into them, but not this time. It was going to be one good and long weekend for them all.

Upon putting the jeep in park, a silence fell over the young couple. Neither of them had said much on the drive there. Nor could they really say anything now. Looking at the house, Tommy forced out a breath before slowly reaching over to touch Kimberly's hand. Despite the dreams and fantasizes he had about a night like this; this time around, it was a reality. This time it was going to happen.

Or was it? Both of them were feeling a little pressure and anxiety with this event.

Slightly startled, she turned to look at him, almost feeling the same tension and fright as him. But as she gripped his hand tighter, she knew she was ready to do this. He felt her grip tighten as his own grip tightened in return. He was gesturing about wanting to do this, too.

Tommy got out of the vehicle and walked over to the passenger side, opening the door for his girlfriend, holding a hand out for hers. She took it as she jumped out, melting into his arms as he directed them towards the house.

Opening the door, he gestured her to proceed in before him as he turned on the light in the darkened hall.

"Can I get you anything to drink? Or perhaps to eat?" Tommy offered as he tossed his keys onto the accent table beside the door.

Turning to look at him, a new look fell upon her face. It was something that Tommy never saw from her before. Well, in reality. He could only dream about it, or fantasize about it in his spare time. But this was a reality. And it was almost a wonder if he was still talking to the same Kimberly he knew and loved. There was a longing there. It was a want or hunger for his touch and embrace. Raising an eyebrow, he felt himself take a step back.

Kimberly walked over to him, her eyes dancing with the desire to feel and see more of her boyfriend. Putting a hand on his chest, he found his back hit the wall as she stood on her tiptoes, pushing a heated kiss upon his lips.

At the touch of her lips, it made his knees buckle. His head began to spin, but not in a bad way. It was in a way that made him relax. It made him fall into the comfort of the situation. There was no longer a fear there as his hands slowly settled onto her hips. She could only giggle quietly under his gesture as she pushed herself closer to him. His strong powerful arms lifted her off the ground, causing her to squeal. She found her legs wrap around his waist, feeling his hard member press against her.

She pulled away for a second, catching her breath. She never admitted to telling him she could feel him down there any time their make-out sessions got hot and racy. But when she looked up into his eyes, she knew instantly that he knew all along. That his own raging hormones could not be controlled forever. And at times, she would feel her own sacred area melt into a sea of great pleasure under his touch. She never told anyone about it except her best friend, Aisha, but at that moment, she let her gaze admit it to her boyfriend. As her eyes became lost in his own gaze, she knew how much he wanted to do this. And she knew how much she did, too.

She, too, had to admit there were times when she had thought about Tommy in more sexual ways then she would like to admit to. But she, too, was a teen with raging hormones of her own. Guys weren't the only ones who thought about sex from time to time, too. Girls had their moments where they would fantasize about certain guys, and for Kimberly, it was him. And it was him for some time, if not a long time.

"Tommy, I…" Kimberly began to say. She was trying to find the right words to say, but for some reason, she couldn't quite figure it out. And in her tone, it seemed to bring Tommy back into reality.

She's having her doubts. Tommy thought to himself as he caught his breath. He leaned forward, hoping she would let go, but for some reason, her legs wrapped more tightly around him. Her arms held onto his neck almost for dear life.

Shaking her head, she was protesting against his gesture. "Tommy, no. Please, don't. I'm…"

"Damn it, I'm not forcing you to do this, Kimberly," he spoke quietly, his head turned away. "We don't have to do this if you're not ready to." It was clear that he thought this would have gotten farther, but for some strange reason, those words were telling him, otherwise. He didn't want to push her. That was the last thing he wanted, especially now. He didn't want their first time to be uncomfortable. This had to be a mutual agreement on both of their parts. And he made that clear to her. He told her that several times in the past. He was willing to wait for her. He didn't care. He just wanted their first time to be special. He wanted it to be something he could imprint in his memories forever.

Slowly planting her feet on the ground, Kimberly turned his face to look at her. Her hand still planted on the side of his face, she let a small smile pass her lips. "I'm ready to do this, Handsome. I want to do this." She wrapped her free arm around his neck, pulling him down to her level as she pressed a kiss onto his lips. The tension slowly lifted as the hand upon his face traveled down his chest, tracing as many of the muscles under his shirt as she could before placing it on his belt buckle. She yanked at it, pulling it loose.

As she slowly began to back away, his body moved with hers, never letting his own lips escape hers. This time, he had pushed her lips open more, pushing his tongue into her mouth.

"Mmmm," Kimberly moaned as she jumped up, wrapping her legs around his waist, her arms around his neck. The kiss between them never broke.

Yet, her weight was enough for him to lose his step. For a girl of her size, she still could knock him off his feet. Luckily, the wall was there to catch his fall. Crashing into the wall forced Kimberly to press herself against him more, grinding into him. And deep in his throat, Tommy groaned, feeling chills run down his back as he felt her movements into him.

"Whoa, Beautiful," Tommy breathed as he pulled away. "Aren't we a little feisty?"

"Normally, I would be able to walk away from a situation like this satisfied," Kimberly replied, only pushing her body into him more. She grinded into him more as she let the skills of her flexibility give her some advantage during this moment. And she knew by the look in his eyes, he wasn't complaining about her gesture at all. "But this time, that satisfaction level isn't where it needs to be."

"Oh, really?" Tommy looked into her eyes, matching her same sarcasm and wit. As he looked into her eyes, there was no way around it. He had never seen that look before. But it was wanting. A need. A desire – if he could say – and look of horniness. "What type of satisfaction were you looking for?"

"Maybe you should just stop asking questions and let your actions speak for you," Kimberly counteracted his comment. Looking into his eyes, she knew that this time around, his control to keep his hormones in control would not make it through the night.

"Maybe you should, too."

For a moment longer, leaning onto the wall, the couple began to explore the longing and desire of this heated make-out session. There was more action here. More longing. More desire. A taste and hunger for something new. This was beyond what they had done in the past, and they weren't complaining about it one bit.

Time passed. And soon, Tommy found himself walking down the hall down into the basement where his bedroom was located. Never missing a beat, he made it down into the darken hallway of the basement passed the workout area and down another hall into his room.

Without losing his stride, he kicked the door shut proceeding over to the bed. As he laid her down on the bed, Kimberly's hands went to the hem of his shirt. He sat up slightly, only to break the kiss long enough for her to pull his shirt up over his head and tossing it to the floor as their lips locked again.

But this time it was a little more eager. It held a stronger need for something more. They weren't gonna let anything ruin this night. Not a damn thing.

Catching her breath quickly, Kimberly pulled away only to find Tommy's lips lay against her neck. His touch to her bare neck made her shutter. "Oh, god. Tommy, wait…" she breathed, noticing the communicator around her wrist.

Pulling away slowly as he caught his breath, he was so eager to do what he wanted to do to her for a long time. She looked into the lustful eyes of her boyfriend, knowing she, too, couldn't resist the feelings of wanting to do what she wanted to do to him for a long time, either.

She yanked off her own communicator, as he fiddling to get his off, tossing it to the corner of the room. Kimberly leaned up to press her lips onto her boyfriend's bare chest, running her hands tediously along every contour of the muscles before her.

Tommy slowly pushed a breath between his teeth as her touch nearly sent him off the wall. He couldn't hold it in anymore. For a guy who managed to control other things, this was one time he would allow his wants and needs to take over him. And he needed Kimberly in more ways than this make-out session.

In the first hour or so that they were locked in the comfort of that room, they managed to explore the other's body in places they never thought they would be able to see. Not with all that was going on in their lives. But in those moments of touching bare skin, of exploring and even penetrating all those barriers that held them back, nothing else mattered. Nothing. The only thing that mattered was the moments they spent together atop that bed.

After they were done exploring, it was off to the real moment they were there in the first place: making love for the first time. Lying under the covers, Tommy continued to explore Kimberly's mouth in ways that would push their innocent relationship into a not-so-innocent-kind anymore. But neither of them could mind too much. They've waited a long time for this moment.

Kimberly's nails slowly dug into his back, pushing him more and more to do what they both wanted to feel and experience. For him to be inside her.

Pulling away to catch his breath again, Tommy looked down at Kimberly as her eyes fluttered open to meet his gaze. In all their years together, this was the first time he ever got to see Kimberly in the prime of her beauty. A fantasy that was no longer a fantasy; this was a reality.

Without words, his eyes danced with the big question of the night. Could he proceed? Was she willing to let him penetrate the key into the hidden treasure inside her?

"I'm ready if you are, Handsome," she wrapped her legs more tightly around him, pulling him so close to her it made both of them let out a short breath.

And in one swift more, he let the gap between them close.

And in a slow motion, he began to move atop her. This was the moment of truth. They were making love. And they let the hours of that night pass slowly and leisurely as they grasped the memory of making love for the first time in their minds.

This was one night they wouldn't forget. They couldn't forget it.

---

Months later. The start of senior year in high school.

Both Tommy and Kimberly couldn't believe that something would be tearing them apart. But Tommy knew that he couldn't let such a great opportunity pass up. Kimberly was offered a full-ride scholarship and opportunity to train with the best for the Pans Global Competitions down in Florida. And if she dedicated herself to that training, it could open up the doors to compete at the Olympic level. This was one dream that could not be missed out on.

Walking hand in hand through the park, Kimberly and Tommy slowly recalled their memories together as a couple. The sun was beginning to set in the distance. They came to a stop along the shore of the lake, opposite the side where they had shared their first kiss years ago. Tommy turned to look at Kimberly, interlocking his hands with hers.

"I can't believe this is happening," Kimberly whispered as fear seemed to shake her little form.

Leaning over, Tommy laid a gentle kiss upon her lips. "I can't believe it either, Kim, but you cannot pass something like this up. You and I both know that."

"I would have thought you would have told me, 'no'. That despite it is a big opportunity, you wouldn't let me go along with it. What about the team? What about us?"

"What about fulfilling a life long dream to compete at the national and international level of something that you love and enjoy so much?" he counteracted her questions. "I can't take that away from you."

Both of them knew what would happen if Kimberly did go along with this. She would be giving up her position as a Power Ranger. And their relationship would, now, become a long-term relationship. And if anyone knew, long-term relationships always found ways to never work out.

"I can't do this, Tommy. Not to you or our friends. I…" Kimberly spoke as the tears finally began to fall from her eyes.

Pulling her chin up to look at him, Tommy wiped the streams that stained her face. "You can. I know you can. You're one of the strongest people I know."

Looking away, she couldn't seem to look up at her boyfriend now. "Not as strong as you, apparently. Ya know, after the threats of losing my powers, it made me realize I could never match up to what went on in your head when you lost your green ranger powers. I am not ready for this."

"Through life, we experience and face several different types of changes. Many times, we may not like the outcome and other times we can almost predict it. But no matter what, we always have the choice to really decide how it will end," his words of wisdom danced around in her head as she couldn't help but push open a small smile.

Looking up into his eyes, she could see them water up slowly, his own tears finally becoming evident. She let her thumb come up to wipe away his stream of tears before wrapping her arms around his neck and laying a kiss upon his lips.

"For my last night here, can we spend it together?" Kimberly asked upon breaking the kiss.

Nodding slowly, he pulled her into a hug, wrapping his arms protectively around her.

Moving as one, they left the park, finding their way over to his home. Despite his parents were home, that wouldn't stop the young couple from doing what they had set on their minds. This would be their last time together – perhaps in a while – and they would make the most of their night. They would spend it getting lost in their own world as they explored each other inside and out.

---

The next day arrived almost like a nightmare.

Kimberly proceeded to say goodbye to her friends at the Command Center. Each of them was feeling all different types of emotions about letting the "heart" of the team go. They didn't want her to go and it was clear. But they all knew that they couldn't let her skip out on this journey and lifetime dream.

And she found only one person to take her place. Despite all of the problems that resulted from Katherine's arrival in Angel Grove months ago, it was all an all, almost fate for her to join the legacy of rangers. She wouldn't be sharing the same bond as these six teens with their uniquely-crafted and skilled mastery of the Ninja, but she would still be apart of a great legacy.

Clearing away her tears, after breaking a hug with the automaton she had come to love, Alpha 5, Kimberly turned to look up at Zordon. To her, and all of them, he was their mentor and second father. He showed them so much. Proved so much to them. And she was glad to have known someone who had impacted her life in ways that he did.

"I really don't know what to say. Zordon, this has just been one amazing trip. For all of us. And I want to thank you for everything that you have done for me, especially," she spoke as she tried to keep her tears in check.

"It is indeed hard to see you go, but your memories and contributions to this team will not be forgotten. We only wish you the best in your journey, for it is only beginning. It is beginning for all of you. And this legacy will forever shine in rangers that have come to pass, in your eyes, and the rangers of the future. May the Powers Always Protect You, Kimberly." Zordon nodded and bid his farewell. "We will miss you greatly, but you will never be forgotten."

After being encased in a group hug by her friends, Tommy took Kimberly's hand in hers. Hugging him tightly, Kimberly began to shudder with fear again. She didn't want to go, but he pushed a kiss to her cheek.

"Be strong, Beautiful. You can do this. We're all proud of you," Tommy whispered into her ear.

She nodded as the hug was broken and the two of them teleported out of there.

One hour later.

Tommy walked with Kimberly melted into his side through the terminal at the airport. Kimberly's mother was in France for some conference, but they both knew it really wasn't. Not that it was official, but for months now, Kimberly's parents couldn't stand to look at each other more. Her father remained in Angel Grove with her brother, but all in all, she knew that they wouldn't be able to make things work out. It just was not meant to be. Not after all these years. The chemistry and sparks were lost. And Kimberly really didn't want this same thing to happen to her and Tommy.

"Are you ready to do this?" Tommy asked as he looked out the window at the plane that was going to take her away from him. Move her to Florida to become a better gymnast.

For a moment longer, Kimberly could only cling to him as the tears fell. She didn't want to go. She wasn't ready to go. She was shuddering with fright. So many things ran through her mind as she tried to search out what she really wanted out of all this. Did she want to fulfill her dreams? Or did she want to stay with the man of her dreams?

"I can't do this. I can't," she shook her head, as she clung to him, not wanting to let go. She couldn't seem to let her grip loosen from his jacket.

"Yes, you can, Beautiful. You can do this," he said quietly wrapping his protective arms around her. Despite the fact he didn't want to let her go, he couldn't see her push away from this opportunity. He just couldn't. He had to find a way to get her on that plane.

"What about us?"

Letting a breath escape through his pursed lips, he questioned that, too. He didn't know what to believe. He didn't know what would happen with them. He loved her with all of his heart. He would do anything for her. He would find a way to make things work between them if they had problems. He loved her so much. And he felt like he would only love her. This was the woman of his dreams and he wanted to spend the rest of his life with her. But he knew in the back of his head, if they were truly meant to be, they would find a way back to each other. They would keep their love for each other going. And he had to let her know that.

"True love is worth waiting for. And I know, I've waited long enough. But sometimes, we gotta make decisions and sacrifices we may not like. All in all, in the end, if we were truly meant to be, and if we continue to let our love for each other grow, we will begin to realize what we have is true love. And we'll always find a way back to each other. No matter what, I'll love you. And I will be waiting for you. I will always be here if you need me. I love you, Kimberly."

Kimberly let out her tears, wrapping her arms tightly around her boyfriend. "I love you so much, Tommy. I'll never stop loving you. And I want to thank you for everything you've done for me."

"I thank you more, but you're welcome, Beautiful. This isn't goodbye. This is only opening up a new chapter in our lives, baby."

Holding onto the hug for a moment longer, the intercom buzzed with boarding calls; her flight was one of them. Kimberly pushed her lips to his as it turned into a deep, warm and passionate kiss.

And slowly, she pulled away from his arms. Letting their hands hang onto each other for a bit longer, Tommy finally pulled his hand away. And the connection was lost. But it wasn't forgotten.

Kimberly turned away with a ticket in one hand, her carry-on luggage in another. She handed her ticket to the flight attendant. And one last time, she turned to look at him. Their eyes locked as the spirits of the crane and falcon danced in them. In those eyes, they could get lost in for hours. In those eyes, held the very key into their souls. In those eyes, it held the memories they had together. In those eyes, it revealed a love that could not be forgotten.

Mouthing out 'I love you', Tommy did the same to her.

Then she turned and proceeded down that small hallway onto the plane that would take her into another part of her life.

For a long time, Tommy never took his eyes off of that tunnel. To him, it was a tunnel. A tunnel into a new part of his life. A new chapter in his relationship with Kimberly. And for him, at that moment, he didn't know what to do. He felt the urge to race passed the flight attendant and onto that plane to stop the love of his life from moving to Florida. He held back though. He had to let her go. It was just how it was. If you loved someone, you also had to know when to let them go. Not that they were still dating, they were onto another part in their relationship. A long-term relationship. And it would be very difficult for both of them.

Then the door sealed shut with a hiss. And Tommy was left alone. He felt his heart skip a beat as he watched the plane leave its port. He wanted so badly to stop her. But he couldn't do it. He just couldn't. He felt the tears escape his eyes as he dug his hands into his pocket.

He found something there as he pulled out a small box. He opened it up to reveal a ring. No, it wasn't an engagement ring. It was a promise ring. A silver-like band with a single diamond on it. But as he pulled it out of the case, it pulled up the part that housed it to reveal another ring. That was the engagement ring. It was a ring with a crane holding a diamond upon its wings. The diamond in itself was big, one that could cover the width of her finger. It was of a pink haze, in certain light, and even had her name engraved into the comfort of the gem.

"True love is worth waiting for, Kimberly. And I'll be waiting for you when the time is right," he said quietly. He closed the small black box and pushed it into his pocket. This wasn't the right time for it. He felt that in his heart. His time would come when he could present either ring to her. But not now. "Someday, I'll make you mine forever."

He slowly turned and walked down the hallway, moving onto a new chapter of his life.

---

Months later.

Things happened. There was a distance there. There was a struggle with how their relationship was going. Like many long distance relationships, it was hard to maintain. They were across the country doing two different things. Kimberly was training long and hard for the Pans Global. Tommy was leading the team of Power Rangers with the newly found Zeo crystals while still trying to make it through senior year of high school.

And Kimberly agreed to come up during the winter break to visit her boyfriend. But there was a distance between them. Despite the two of them had gone and lost their virginity to one another months back, they never were foolish enough to let their love grow in the week or so she managed to stay in Angel Grove. For them, it seemed like their relationship started over. And it was just not where it once was. The chemistry and sparks from their past was nowhere near where it was in their time together during that Christmas break.

Not that either of them were ready and willing to question the other about how their relationship was going. They just knew that things between them were not starting to work out. They knew their friends could see it, but they, too, didn't want to butt in and try their hands at fixing it.

"I don't want anything to change between us, Tommy," Kimberly spoke one night to her boyfriend.

It was a few days after Christmas. Unfortunately, it wouldn't be a white Christmas. There never really was one in Angel Grove. It was too close to the ocean and part of the divide that hardly got any snow.

The two of them were sitting out on Kimberly's father's front porch. Within the months of her departure, it was clear her parents were more at each other's throats than trying to solve their problems. They were getting a divorce. But for a long time, Kimberly never could accept it. Nor was anyone trying to talk to her about it. She didn't want others to get involved in her personal life. Only unless she wanted them to. And many people understood that.

"I don't either," Tommy sighed. He wanted to say more. Needed to say more, but there was just no way around it. He could only assume, hope and wish that things would work out between them.

"You know I'll always love you, right?" the young woman in pink said, quietly.

"But…" Tommy finished, almost sensing the uneasiness in his girlfriend's gesture like it was second nature. He knew that nothing could get passed him, especially with Kimberly. Never did he want to drive it out of her, but he could only hope that she would tell him certain things, especially the ones that bothered her the most. He never liked to be left hanging, but it felt like that more now. He was there for a reason. For support. For comfort. To be the shoulder she could cry on when no one else was around. He said he would do anything for her. And he still would, no matter what.

"There is no 'buts'," Kimberly shook her head.

And Tommy could only leave it as that. There was nothing more for either of them to say. And he just needed to get away for awhile. Catch his breath and figure out exactly what more he wanted with this relationship. Plus, it was getting late. Despite the relationship they had, Kimberly's father set a curfew for how long Tommy could stay over. He didn't blame her father for the gesture; he just wished their relationship wasn't as distance as it was feeling now.

Leaning over, Tommy planted a kiss to Kimberly's cheek. When that gesture was the only thing he was giving her, Kimberly wrapped her arm around his neck and pulled him into a warm, melting kiss. It was the first time, in a long time, he had felt the heat of her lips upon his. Almost a blessing. That perhaps, she still cared about him as much as he did for her.

"I love you, Tommy," she whispered into his lips.

"I love you, too, Beautiful," he let his forehead rest atop hers. He laid another gentle kiss on her lips before pulling away. "I gotta go, though. You know how your father can be if we go passed our allotted curfew."

"Only because of all this training I'm doing for the games," she sighed, still locking hands with his own. "He thinks I should put a lot of focus on that right now, even though I'd rather hang out with my friends. I may never really get a chance when I go back to Florida."

"Yeah, but your presence here is more than enough, right now. I'll talk to you later, okay? Love you, Kimberly," Tommy nodded slowly, waved a goodbye and wished her a good night before turning toward his car.

In the back of his mind, he was still replaying all of the good memories they shared in the past. Sitting there for a moment longer, long after Kimberly had gone in the house, he reached into his pocket again, only to realize that same small black box was there. The same box he had when he let her go to Florida the first time around.

For some strange reason, it was more of a haunting for him to have now. Fear shook him to the core. That dreadful question about asking – or more like stating – that she'll always love him played in his mind. He knew very well that when a question like that came up, there was bad news to follow. But she didn't find it in her heart to say what she needed to say. And even then, he didn't want to push her to say anything. She had been through a lot.

Letting out a breath, he started up the car and drove off into the night.

---

One month later.

It was the start of a new year. And it was also the start of new adventures. Challenges. And shocks.

Like always, the usual hangout place to crash for the teens of Angel Grove was the Youth Center. Tommy was at one of the bench press stations lifting weights; Adam was spotting him. Rocky was not too far behind with a smoothie in hand for himself. The rest of the ranger team – Katherine, Tanya, who took Aisha's place after the search for the Zeo crystals, and Billy, who graduated high school a year early and with lots of free time became the team's technical director – made their way to the assembly of guys at the bench press station.

Ernie, the owner of the Youth Center, walked over to them with an envelope in hand. He handed it over to Adam and returned to his work.

"Who's it from?" Tanya asked.

"It's from Kimberly," Adam replied, slightly confused. If anything, he knew that Kimberly would never send a letter to Ernie unless it was addressed to him, but it wasn't. It was addressed to Tommy at the Youth Center, not his home address.

"Well, why don't you read it while I finish my set," Tommy suggested as he lowered the bar to his chest and pushed it back up with a breath.

"Yeah, sure," Adam nodded as he opened it up looking it over briefly before clearing his throat.

"Hey, isn't she supposed to be competing in the Globals soon?" Rocky asked as he took a slurp of his smoothie.

"Yeah, she should be," Billy nodded. "And with all the training she's been doing, I'm sure she'll do a great job."

Adam cleared his throat again as he began to read the letter. "Hey, Tommy. Hope all is well. It's me, Kim. I'm sorry I haven't been able to return any of your calls, but I've been very busy with the training and all. I'll be competing in the next few weeks and I am really excited about it..." Adam sighed, continuing to read the letter. "...I'm fine. ... Hope things are going okay in Angel Grove. ..But, I must say that this may be the very last letter I will be sending out to you. You must understand that this long-distance relationship is rather hard. On us both..."

A silence fell over the assembly of rangers. Tommy felt his own stomach churn as he felt his arms wobble. He almost felt like he was gonna drop the dumbbell on his chest. Placing it back on the stand, he sat up, as he reached over to see the letter and the words written on it. Did he just hear it right? Was the dreadful words he didn't want to hear, finally being revealed? His relationship with Kimberly, the love of his life, was coming to an end?

"...For the past few months, I've gotten to know one of the assistant coaches for the team, and..." he paused for a moment as he looked at his friends with some astonishment, catching his breath. "...His name is Carl, and he's a really nice guy. You two would probably get along. ...This is really hard for me to say, Tommy, but I have to let you go. I mean, we shared something special. Really, we did. And I would never want to let that go to anyone else, but I'm really sorry. This long-distance thing cannot happen. Perhaps, it's time to let us go our separate ways. ... Please understand. ...I am so sorry. I will always love you, Tommy. You were my first and true love, but maybe you can find someone who will be there for you until the very end. ...Send my regards to the others. I miss them. ... Love Always- Kimberly."

A silence fell over the ring of friends. Nothing could really be said. They were all speechless. They had nothing to say. No way to comfort their leader. They were shocked. They didn't see this coming at all.

Was it a dream? Or was it really a reality? As each ranger looked to their leader, in reassurance, they could only see the pain in his eyes. The churning pain in his stomach. The knife stab to his heart. The emptiness void and lifeless activity in how his body stood.

Then a spark of rage shook the young teen in red to the core. He tried to keep his emotions in check. He tried to keep his anger from getting the most of him. But for some strange reason, he could not. He had ways to hide it. He learned techniques. Or learned to get it out when he was training or alone. But now, it seemed like he could not do it. Kimberly had a way to keep him in check, but she wasn't here now. She hasn't been here for months now, so it made it harder for him to control. There were so many emotions that were coming it that had been locked away. And now it all felt like a huge slap to the face.

It was unbelievable. It was totally uncalled for. It was not expected at all.

And then something inside Tommy just snapped. He felt rage and pain race through every vein in his body. He felt the heat of anger run through him, from head to toe. His eyes narrowed, and without much thought his hand formed into a white-knuckled fist.

And with brute power and strength – and for the rangers, it seemed like more than just human strength, but a boost of his ranger powers, too – he found his fist fly through the air.

Time passed in a heart beat as the powerful attack flew right passed Adam's ear into the wall behind him, causing Tommy's fist to go right through the wall.

BAM!

At that moment, Adam swore he almost shit his pants – if he didn't. He never saw his friend like this as he forced air back into his lungs. A few centimeters to Tommy's left and he seriously could have knocked Adam out and more. He shifted his weight, moving slowly away from where the arm still laid in the wall.

Silence seemed to fall across the friends and to those present in the Youth Center. A blow like that into the wall could not have gone unnoticed.

The wall was a pretty strong and stable wall, too. It would take a real jackhammer to do some damage; perhaps a metal bat. But a fist would have broken in that impact. And for Tommy, it probably did, but he needed to feel that pain. He needed to find a way to ease the own pain running through every ounce of his body. And at that moment, what seemed to some more pain was the wall, not the teen who delivered the blow.

All a good distance away, Tommy's friends could only look at him with no effort to go up to him and question him. To comfort him. To help him get through this unexpected moment. To see if he was really okay.

"Adam, I think you should go talk to him," Rocky whispered quietly into his best friend's ear, pushing him forward.

Looking over his shoulder at Rocky, Adam's eyes widened with shock. "What?! Are you fuckin' nuts? The guy just drove his hand through a wall."

"A very sturdy wall," Billy had to confirm. "It would take a jackhammer to do enough damage to a wall like that."

"I am not going over there considering, I could very well be on my way to the hospital right now, either. Shit, the guy is pissed off. Do you really want to mess with a guy like that when the love of his life just broke up with him in a letter?" Adam shook his head. "Hell, no. I wouldn't."

"Hell, no. That must have hurt," Rocky took another step back as he was making his way back to the juice bar. "I need a refill."

"How could you be thinking of food at a time like this? What kind of friend are you?" Tanya pulled him back by his shirt.

"I am being a friend right now. By giving him his space. When guys are pissed off, you had best stay the hell outta their way. That is just how we are." Rocky shrugged off her gesture and proceeded back to the juice bar. "And that is what I'm doing right now. I am giving him his space, 'cuz he needs to cool down."

Billy and Tanya could only look at each other, before pushing Katherine towards the lone teenager in red. But there was no way she could protest, feeling her weight carry her in the direction of Tommy. Katherine was the only one who was willing to take the blame, comfort, and support for her friend in red. She had to admit that she had thought about Tommy in ways that was not on a friendship level. She wanted him to be her boyfriend, if not more. But she never had the guts to tell him because he was with Kimberly. Well, not anymore.

He could only catch his breath, feeling the line of eyes fall upon him. He let his emotions get the most of him. And he let everyone there see it. He slowly let air return to his lungs. But the damage of his rage was still evident on the wall. And it was starting to rush through his arm as he felt the pain of his fist grow.

Just as Tommy finally found the strength to pull his hand away, he could only feel the weight of someone come crashing into his arms.

He growled, pushing the person back as she came crashing into the assembly of her friends. All of them searching for their footing. Katherine thought about it for a second longer, wanting to go after him as Tommy stormed out of the room. He was holding back his tears as it seemed like rage was the best way to hide it.

Grabbing a hold of her, the rest of them thought about it again, thinking it was a bad idea.

"Let the guy cool down. Trust me," Adam breathed as he looked over at the damage on the wall.

The rest of the team looked over at the damage as more curious eyes fell onto the wall. It looked like a small crater came crashing down on the wall; as if a baseball was flying at top speed to damage the wall. And the small trail of blood that slowly dripped down the wall was more evidence of the damage done.

If anyone knew from that day on, and more, never get the young skilled martial artist pissed off. Never crush his heart. And don't question him about his relationship with Kimberly. It was done. And it was time to move on.

---

After high school graduation, things were different. Even before high school graduation, things were already different. There were times when there was great tension. There were times when things were uneasy. There were times when things were just not working around any of their schedules. There were times when it was, but not a whole lot. Not that the ranger team was falling apart all together, they were just growing into more mature men and women with their own expectations and goals in life.

After Billy's incident with his age-old days, he went to Aquitar with the Aquitarian Rangers. Not that it was a decision that came with sacrifices; he decided to let his expertise stay with him on Aquitar. He wasn't returning to Earth. And no one could blame him. He was still under a lot of stress and examination for his condition, and he felt the best place to get it was there. His friends wished him the best of luck, hoping to hear and see him in the future.

For awhile, Jason joined the team as the Gold Ranger, but after he could no longer hold onto the powers, they had to be transferred back to Trey of Triforia, the true bearer of the powers. Jason went back to studying abroad as a martial artist, on top of training over at the LAPD academy as a police officer. For a long time, no one could believe he was gonna become a guy of authority, but as he seemed to fit the police uniform more and more, they found it was the best way for him to obtain his status as a leader. As being a "hero" to the community.

For awhile, Adam and Tanya was a thing. Rocky stuck with the bachelor life until the tables were turned. Adam decided to go back to Korea for college, so the impression of their relationship wouldn't last. Not that they were forcing it on each other. Their relationship wasn't one that could have lasted, but they were still willing to remain friends. During his time in Korea, he landed several rolls as a stuntman on movies filmed in the country. In the end, he chose the path of medicine over the fame and fortune of being a star; yet, he could still add it to his resume and for something to fall back on if the medical thing didn't work.

And then Rocky and Tanya somehow found their way into each other's arms. Things were slow and subtle for a long time. Tanya was doing some background work on starting up a musical career. She, too, went to college and soon found an interest in law. Months and even years down the road, she would be in the court room defending some huge celebrity cases. For Rocky, he pushed himself to go to college. He wasn't able to stay on as a ranger after his injury, so he handed it to a young protégé, Justin Stewart, who became the new Blue Turbo Ranger. That gave him more time to think about his own future. About what he wanted for himself and no one else. So, he began to get back with martial arts, traveled to the far reaches of the world to train with some of the best martial arts masters of his time. In his free time, he took college courses that would eventually give him a degree in psychology.

Katherine and Tommy were also an item, but their relationship was pushed and driven in ways that had the others question how far they were gonna go. Tommy was still living with the scars of his break-up with Kimberly. And they all knew that. They could see it in how he presented himself. How he acted. And how he could easily shut out anyone from his life. And foolishly enough, in order to save their relationship – as they thought – Katherine and Tommy slept with each other. The worse part about it was they were drunk when it happened. It would seem a little surprising for a couple of former rangers, but the pressures of life drove them in different directions. At the time, they handed their powers down to their successors of the Power Ranger legacy – TJ Johnson, Ashley Hammond, Cassie Chan, Carlos Valarte, and Justin Stewart.

But the things that Tommy did were totally uncalled for, even for a former leader to a team of superheroes. Even for a guy with a black belt in martial arts. Living up to his rebellious side, he hid in the shadows doing some black market scamming. Due to his background knowledge of vehicle mechanics, he would set up illegal exchanges and do some illegal make-over to cars for street racers along the California coast. He drank and even did drugs. And that wasn't everything. The surprising thing was how well he had hid it from everyone around him – from his family and friends. But he couldn't fool them all. There were a few nights out of the weeks and months he had exchanged bottles with his friends, usually Adam and Rocky.

Upon one of Adam's visits back to the states, he began to realize the changes in his former leader. The two of them were the best of friends. Not that Rocky was still Adam's best friend, he just had a way of making friends wherever he went. And all in all, Adam was a guy who would do anything for his friends and family. He was not a selfish man and always knew that others came before his own needs. He had a way of trying to fix things around him, no matter what it took. He never liked living with negative vibes for a long time.

"Are you sure this is gonna work?" Rocky asked. "I mean, I know that Tommy has been pretty fucked up since graduation, but do you think we should even bother?"

"Rocky, you're talking about our best friend. You're talking about a guy who led a team of rangers for so many years. And to tell you the truth, I think he was pretty much fucked when he broke up with Kim," Adam stated as he shook his head. "He just hid it well."

"But for some strange reason, he couldn't hide it from us?"

Adam shook his head again as he looked at the manila folder he held in his hand. "I just hope it works."

"Ya know, if he finds out you're behind this, he'll kill you, right?"

"He shouldn't be doing this shit to himself anyway. And if anything, if anyone else found out he was doing all the shit he has been doing, they would look down on him. They would probably disown him. And personally, I don't want to live with a conscience of knowing that and never doing anything about it. He needs us, man. We need to be friends and step up to help him out."

"Well, that break-up with Kim fucked him up bad," Rocky had to admit as he could recall the months following that break up.

On top of breaking up with the love of his life, Tommy had to get used to the new set of powers he gained. They were no longer Mighty Morphin Power Rangers. They were Zeo Power Rangers. And they were a whole new upgrade. Tommy went from the color of green to white to red. And it was just rough all around being a senior in high school. On top of everything else in his life.

"So, how do you exactly plan on getting him to sign that paperwork?" Rocky asked.

"Need to get off some stress?" Adam winked as he gestured his hand as if he was taking a shot.

Not that it wasn't normal for a bunch of underage guys to get drunk or drink every now and then. It was more like if you didn't follow that crowd of people, you were missing out. You were the nerds and geeks. You were looked down on as a teenager. It was peer pressure and a lot of people gave into it. And it wasn't like any of them had gone to a few of them in high school; even as Power Rangers. It was a nice way to relieve stress. But sometimes, it was better to do it with friends rather than at the huge rally parties with tons of people. Or at least, it did for them. House parties were just not their scene and they didn't agree with some of the things that went down at many of them. But even then, things could and did happen one way or another.

Hours later.

"…I bet I could race against your car and win, Adam," Tommy's voice was a bit slurred.

During times of drinking, Tommy somehow managed to get drunk the fastest. Mainly, everyone else would just drink, feel a little tipsy, but nowhere near drunk – as he would get. This time around, it wasn't as bad. He was still capable of doing a few things, like sign a few papers, which was Adam's and Rocky's goal.

"Okay. Okay. You probably could anyway. I mean, you are a mechanic, man, and you know your cars better than I do," Adam nodded. "But let's take a bet and sign on it."

"Okay," Tommy shrugged as he took another swig from his bottle of beer.

Adam placed several papers on the counter for the guy in red to sign. He pointed to every line that needed a signature, quickly handing them off to Rocky who locked them into the manila folder. But before Tommy had a chance to argue about why Adam didn't sign on anything, he stumbled onto the couch and crashed. He was out cold, despite the number of drinks he had. He was working on his third bottle in the last four hours.

Though, Adam and Rocky drank a little, they were not drunk. Just tipsy. They watched their former leader, before looking down at the manila folder on the table.

"He's gonna kill us, you know this, right?" Rocky breathed as he took a step back.

"Yeah, he probably would. But by the time he realizes what is gonna happen to him, you'll be on that trip to Taiwan and I'll be heading back to Korea."

"So, what about his parents? What do you think they'll think of his notion about 'doing' this?"

"He wanted to serve and protect those he loved…just like he did back in high school." Adam shrugged.

Weeks later.

Though it was already clear enough, Katherine and Tommy was no longer an item. For awhile, Kat didn't take it really well. But as she was starting off her first year in college, she began to realize that if she pushed her friends away, she would have a hard time making it through her higher education. She would be taking classes overseas in London. It was for a dance school. One of the most prestigious ones she could go to for her experience in dance. She and Tommy were hanging out at his apartment as she was counting down the hours she would be heading to England.

"You must be really excited," Tommy breathed as he collapsed on the couch beside his former girlfriend.

"Well, look at you. I never would have expected to hear CalTech and you in the same sentence," Katherine giggled slightly.

Tommy shrugged. He, too, didn't know how he managed to get such high scores on his ACT and SAT tests that he was entitled to go to any college, close to full-ride. And on top of that, the number of scholarships he managed to gain for his heritage and minority status, too. "I don't know, I guess I'm a little shocked myself. But maybe I'll be a little more studious in college. I hear that college is a whole other lifestyle versus high school."

"So, you're actually gonna take your education a little more seriously?" Katherine sounded a little more sarcastic then serious. She never would have expected someone like Tommy to go to a college like CalTech or even think about MIT, but she didn't have to disagree. She would support him with whatever path he decided to choose. Even if it wasn't college, too.

"Maybe because I don't have to worry about saving the world on top of that."

"Well, we couldn't have been rangers forever, Tommy."

He sighed, just as the phone rang. Excusing himself, he walked over to the kitchen and picked up the phone, not thinking twice about who it could have been or for what.

"Hello?" the young man replied upon pushing the receiver to his ear.

"Yes, is this Thomas Oliver?" the man on the other side asked.

"Yes, it is. And who is calling?"

"My name is Sergeant First Class Jason Frank with the Army National Guard Recruiting Offices…" the man's voice seemed to fade out, go in one ear and out the other.

Tommy nearly dropped the phone. He told the recruiting offices that he wasn't interests, and that he would rather make the decision about joining on his own. Time and time again, they would continue to call him and he turned them down. But for some strange reason, there was something different about this call. He could sense it in how the recruiting officer was making this phone call sound.

"…according to our records, you will be starting basic training down in Ft. Hood in Texas in less than two weeks and…"

And before he knew it, he saw the paperwork set for his departure. He was enlisted into the Army National Guard. And he wasn't quite sure how, but all he knew, now, was that he was heading down to Texas for some basic and advanced training with the National Guard. His plans for college would be postponed. And his goals would all be manipulated and moved around from that point on.

The years passed slowly, but all in all, Tommy Oliver turned out all right. For the most part, if one could say. Toughened by years of being in the Army, he reached the ranks of Master Sergeant. Intelligent, quick-witted and fast to learn the ropes, it was a position, not many of his friends even knew about, nor did he want many to know. He wanted to keep that on the side and leave it at that; not that he was retired, he just had inactive status. His studies came in the way. He was given a chance to continue his graduate studies at MIT; he got his bachelor's at CalTech. That's where he met his best friend, a technical genius, Hayley Viktor, who would later start up her own business in Reefside. Before he knew it, he graduated with honors and received a doctorates degree in paleontology.

Quickly following his graduation, he started his experiments on dinosaur DNA and technology on an uncharted island off the coast of California with the world famous millionaire scientist, Dr. Anton Mercer, PhD. Things happened. A lot of things. Trials that went wrong. Ideas that never should have been discussed or tested out. Successful ones that could revolution the way the world looked at life and evolution. But of course, all were experimental. None were proven factual and completely beneficial to society. Not yet. And all good things always had a way of coming to an end.

After the disappearance of Anton Mercer, there was an eerie silence to the island. Scientists and researchers came in smaller numbers or not at all. It was clear no work would be getting done after this mysterious loss. The project, itself, would have to get shut down. As one of the lead scientists himself, Dr. Tommy Oliver was making a routine visit to the island to collect some data for his records. He didn't get very far when he was being run down by an army of Tyrannodrones, an army of dino-like soldiers he and Mercer created. Fighting against him, he managed to escape and watched from the ocean as all his experiments–his and Mercer's work—go up in flames.

Months after that, he decided to find a career in teaching science at Reefside High School. He already had a nice secluded place there, thanks to Hayley. On the other side of it all, he was working undercover with her to harvest new superhuman powers. Superhuman powers he found in three gems–three gems from the rock fragments in the very meteor that crashed into Earth millions of years ago that annihilated the dinosaurs. And these gems would, if it needed to, would harness the new team of Power Rangers to protect Earth.

Tommy already familiarized himself with the ranger teams of the past. He had his ways of archiving their adventures somehow, someway. He felt it was his duty to. He and Hayley archived the work in the hidden lab they built under his house. His ranger duties, especially after his team-up with nine other red rangers, were enough to show him his life as a ranger was not coming to an end. When he found those gems, he knew his ranger journey was still going. And he was a man who took things very seriously these days.

"Until the time is right, these gems will harness the new team of Rangers," he told himself one night as he watched the gems mounted on the stone in the lab. He walked over to another side of the room where he opened a metal case that housed three morphers. One designed to look like a tyrannosaurs was red, one looked like a triceratops, which was blue, and the other, yellow, a pterodactyl (pteranodon). "Someday, a new team will rise. And a new power will be unleashed. DinoThunder Power."

---

2005. Reefside, CA.

The new assembly of rangers nearly met their match in their newest enemies, Mindshatter and his second in command, Dinoshade. And all the four teens could remember was crashing onto the hard pavement upon the reentry into the reality of their own time period. To them, they didn't have to worry too much about how much the future changed. At least, they didn't think so. And hoped so. They were still the same Conner McKnight, Kira Ford, Ethan James, and Trent Mercer as they were upon going back in time. That's how they felt, anyways.

They knew after their mentor, Dr. Tommy Oliver, revealed a little more than they had hoped for to their predecessors in 1996, things must have changed. They didn't know what or how. But something must now be off since they returned from the past. They just couldn't get over the fact that they saw their mentor, nine years ago, leading the team of rangers in their ninja forms; the Ninjetti Rangers. It was unbelievable. Almost amazing and indescribable.

However, they were still worried about the outcome of the present day, or future, or whatever the hell they could call it, but they knew it must have changed, even the slightly bit. But to them, they just didn't feel it. They swore and were sure their predecessors did, though.

Upon a treacherous battle in the year 1996 with Rito, Goldar, Zeltrax and even Dinoshade and Mesogog, the Dino Rangers weren't sure how much more punishment they could take. Dinoshade was about to move toward the teens when Mesogog got in the way.

"You traitor!" Dinoshade hissed.

"We're all full of surprises, aren't we, Dinoshade?" Mesogog replied. But his voice sounded more like Anton than it did the dino menace standing between the two sides. "You're fighting for the wrong team, I hope you realize that."

Dinoshade launched himself forward as Mesogog followed suit. And the two dinosaurs went into battle. Each of them exchanged a set of powerful blows and attacks that could very well knock a human old cold without the right protection. But it was clear that Dinoshade had the upper hand, especially with that armor suit of his.

The teens stopped short, pulling their friend in white back from the battle. He was the most fired up about the situation as well as confused. They questioned each other still trying to get over the fact that it sounded like Anton talking rather than Mesogog, or more so one in the same. Both he and Mesogog as one.

Mesogog growled as he pushed Dinoshade back. He looked back at the shaken and confused teens. "Go! Go, now!"

"No, we won't leave you! Dad, please," Trent pleaded.

"Go, now! I can only hold him off for so long. Trent, you must not worry about me!" the voice, a combination of Mesogog and Anton, demanded.

"No, you cannot protect them forever, Anton," Dinoshade hissed.

Time passed slowly as Dinoshade and Mesogog continued to fight. But it was clear that Dinoshade was winning as he dragged the weaken form of Mesogog with him into the shadows. Silence fell over the battlefield only briefly, before the teens raced into the shadows, only to realize that no one was there. They were left alone to regain their strength and figure out what had happened. But a bright light forced them to shield their eyes, and they saw a figure emerge from it. It was their mentor, weakened. He collapsed to the ground in an exhausted heap.

"Dr. Oliver!" they cried out, rushing over to him.

The four teens knew they had to get him to safety and the comfort of the lab. There was a need for examinations. His powers were being drained in the past because there was already a Tommy of that time period and two rangers, of the same biological make-up, could not be in the same place at the same time. It would disrupt the morphing grid and energy residing within the occupants. And that's what he had suffered from greatly.

Days later.

The team assembled in Reefside prior to the battle before the Dino Rangers went back in time had all retired for the night. That left the Oliver family time to themselves. As far as Tommy could tell, he didn't manipulate the past as much as he thought. Or did he? His head was still aching, and everyone told him that he was out for nearly four days. He didn't think that after that last battle it would take a number on him, but it did. He wasn't as young as he once was. He couldn't hold himself up like he did in the past. And he had to keep telling himself that. He was no longer a teenager. He was a married man, 28 years old, with a seven-year-old daughter from a previous relationship and another kid on the way with his wife, Kimberly. Yes, that was still the same as he had remembered it before he went back in time.

But after that, things were just a blur. His mind was like a void. And though, as he tried to calculate what he could have done to the past, he could only dream in those four days he was asleep. The dreams went on in his mind like a record. That now, the previous memories he had were more like dreams and what he thought he felt and saw in dreams were now reality – past memories. It was like he was given a whole new memory, but wasn't. He didn't know how to describe it.

He knew he changed the future, but he wasn't sure, now, what was a dream and what wasn't of his past. He could remember the days he was a Power Ranger. From his evil days to leading the team in the colors of green, white and then red. He remembered the relationships he shared with Kimberly and Katherine during high school. He swore he had others in his past; many were just not as strong as he would have liked. But other than that, he wasn't sure what to believe. Did he really do the things he thought he did? Who did he lose his virginity to? He swore it was Katherine, but all of a sudden it felt like it was Kimberly. And did he really do all those bad and illegal things that led to a few sessions at the corrections office? Was he really a rebellious one after high school? Or even during? Did he do those, too? Racing and drifting on the streets, drugs, drinking, black market dealing, etc. Or were they all apart of a fantasy he only dreamed of, but didn't happen? Or how he was in the Army National Guard, and earned the ranks of one of highest ranking officers among the soldiers? There were too many memories he wasn't sure happened. It was all blurry to him.

Looking around the dimmed room, young Serena was tucked away on the lounge chair, sleeping soundly. Husband and wife laid on the couch, listening to the radio playing slow jams quietly. Tucked into Tommy's care, Kim closed her eyes taking in the presence of her husband. She didn't know what to make of the initial reaction of seeing her husband in the state he was in. She, too, like the other ninja rangers, were able to pinpoint the location of the dino rangers only days ago. They all knew they were trapped somewhere in time, but didn't know where or when. But when all was revealed – to some limit – they knew instantly where to look. In the past, at the year of 1996.

Almost in a trance-like state, the ninja rangers fell victim to a long meditation process because of it. A dream, but not so much so. It was a reality. Their futures changed, but not by much. Enough to say, there was enough time to retrieve the location of the dino rangers and return them to the year 2005.

"That wasn't a dream, was it? I really was trapped in the past, wasn't I?" Tommy spoke quietly as he stroked Kim's soft brown hair.

Kim nodded slowly. "You were. But it felt like a dream to me, Aisha, Adam, Rocky and Billy. I don't know. It's hard to describe."

"Then maybe we should just leave it as that. What's past is past. What happened just happened. And we just gotta move on."

Kimberly nodded in turn. What happened in the past was passed. And they just had to move on from it. They shouldn't question the fate of how this all came to be. It just was. If they did, it would dwell in their minds and there would be more questions to think about. And that was just something they didn't need right now.

But it was clear in Tommy's head, that there were some things he could feel in his body. Changes. Memories manipulated. Some for the better; others for the worse.

Kim pushed him back down on the couch laying a kiss on his head. "Get some sleep, Handsome. I'll see you in the morning."

Tommy reluctantly followed her words, but opened his arms as she melted into his embrace. "Why not stay and keep me company until I fall asleep? Besides, you'd miss me too much if you slept upstairs by yourself."

Kim snuggled into his embrace, falling asleep first. Tommy laid there, his arms wrapped around her in a protective manner. But it was clear to him that this was bothering him. He didn't want to dwell on it, but his mind was at a jumble. He still felt empty inside, searching through his memories, trying to recall one thing, but it would come out in another way, differently. He wasn't sure if he was or wasn't dreaming. But as he looked around the room, again, feeling its comfort, he knew it wasn't. He reached around his neck, pulling out the chain that rested there. It was his dog tags that indicated his status as an Army man. He didn't think he carried those around, but as he tried to search his memories, he did. He looked them over, reading the words that seemed to play like a broken record of a painful past, 'Master Sergeant.' He wouldn't have gotten into the ranks without the help of his friends. He wouldn't have gotten where he was without his friends. He wouldn't have found the guts or the confidence to talk to Kim after all these years without his friends. And all in all, he knew it would take some time to find out more about the memories he created in his mind.

But that would be for another time. His eyes grew heavy and he fell into a deep slumber.

**THE END**

_A/N: Now, go back and start reading "Chapter 31: A White Darkness" of "Part 3 – 'Til I Collapse". Now, I know this probably didn't have to go here, or it wasn't really necessary, but in my mind set, I think it did. Hopefully, you'll see that it sorta opens up and closes a few gaps I have in store for Part Four. Yes, that long and hard thought process I am working on right now. I am sorry for the wait, but I am not completely gone. Just busy with other projects. I do hope I didn't confuse you guys too much. Things up to this point are as the stories say, but just keep in mind that day the DinoThunder Rangers went back to the past, will cause lots of questions to come up. It's gonna reveal a lot of things to come in the next part of the series. Especially for our Ninjetti team, who felt the most changes. But I should get back to work. I'll catch you guys later. Good Luck to each of you. And may the Powers always protect you._


End file.
